Original subtitles

[MUSIC PLAYING]

I never connect with an audience.

No, I'm kidding.

WOMAN: Oh, good.

I was gonna say, but you just connected with all of us

and all of us [INAUDIBLE].

[LAUGHS] I try to avoid people whenever possible.

No.

[LAUGHTER]

What does it mean to connect with an audience?

What it means to me is that you are consciously

creating a moment of communion, that that connection,

your ability to reach out, right, and draw someone

in with the story you're telling and with your instrument

literally drawing them in with everything

you've got, with the words, with the silence, right?

That's the whole point of storytelling.

You want to make that connection with who it is you're

talking to.

When I'm doing like, say, when I'm

doing a hosting gig like "Reading Rainbow,"

it was important, it was necessary,

for me to learn how to relate to the camera.

Because as an actor, you're taught never

look at the camera.

Don't look at the camera.

The camera's not there.

But if you're communicating through the camera lens,

you need to be comfortable looking down

the barrel of the lens.

And one of the things that really helped me

in terms of working for the camera

in delivering a speech or something like that,

not when I'm doing a character, a narrative, one of the things

that helped me was to imagine the face of someone

and talk to one person.

Make that imaginary connection with one person.

I used to visualize my son Ward when

I was doing "Reading Rainbow."

And I would address everything to him.

And in sort of narrowing my audience

down when talking to the camera to one person,

it made my task really digestible.

I could talk to one person.

I can successfully make contact with one person.

And in doing that, I was able to speak to thousands.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Now, when you're addressing, say, a room full of people,

one of the things that I like to do

is to make eye contact with different people

in the audience, maintaining contact with the text.

But when you look up, look specifically.

Meet eyes with someone in the audience.

And that's a surefire way to make sure they're engaged.

Because if the audience sees you looking at someone,

the thought going on in their mind is,

he may be looking at me next, so I want to be there.

I want to be present.

I want to make sure that I'm able to meet his eyes should

he come to me.

So engagement can take place on so many levels.

And I think one of the-- the most recognizable,

one of the things we recognize most as human beings,

is that eye contact.

Just look at people.

Just acknowledge them.

Everybody wants to be seen, right?

And it's no different when you're in the audience.

You want to make sure that they're with you.

And the easiest way to do that, the best

way to do that, I believe, is to take their temperature

visually, you know, and include them.

Make sure that they feel included in what

it is you're delivering.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

In terms of-- of what it means to bring a character to life,

it's--

I'd like to think of it in terms of animation.

The word animation comes to mind.

You are animating the character.

When you are realizing a character

or performing a character, you are literally breathing life

into that inanimate object.

And so one of the most important things, I think, to remember

is that storytelling requires energy.

You got to bring energy to the moment, energy

appropriate to the character or to the story

or to what it is you're trying to-- to communicate.

Energy, energy, energy is important.

You've got to show up in the moment with enough energy

to make sure that you are able to tell the story that wants,

that needs to be told.

Don't leave your energy on the side of the stage.

Don't leave your energy in the dressing room.

Your energy needs to be front and center with you

when you take stage.